Polestar Calendars {Review}

Hello friends and Happy October! 

Some of you may remember Polestar Calendars from my mention of them last year around this time. If you missed it, you can check it out HERE. I have the opportunity to share their 2014 Polestar Family Calendar with you today. Isn't the new cover so beautiful (as they always are)?

I love supporting family businesses, which is exactly what Polestar is, an independent, family-run business owned and operated by Ruth Porter and Julian Ross. They live and work in rural south-eastern British Columbia in the beautiful Slocan Valley, where they have been publishing books and calendars since 1983.

If you are in the market for a new calendar, this just may be the one you've been looking for. I LOVE it! I discovered Polestar in 2008 and consider their calendar a must-have in my busy household. It is 8x10 inches, spiral bound and contains 168 pages. They have included all of the useful pages needed in helping with organizing life and all the craziness that comes with it.

This bestselling calendar provides a flexible, spacious format for recording the entire family’s daily activities. Features include:

• monthly double-spread planning pages
• three part daily planning guide
• weekly To Do/To Buy lists
• ample space for meal planning and messages
• unique reference pages including Items Loaned & Borrowed; Family Profiles; Dates to Remember; 2014 and 2015 planning calendars
• sturdy inside back-cover pocket
• perforated corners and tear-out shopping lists
• plus encouraging weekly quotes
• printed on 100% post-consumer recycled text paper, processed chlorine- and acid-free, using vegetable-based inks

The calendars are printed in Canada on 100% post-consumer recycled text paper, processed chlorine free using vegetable-based inks, Forest Stewardship Council approved.

You can purchase directly from the website for $16.95 (shipping within Canada is $3.00 and to the US is $6.00). For US customers, click the photo below to be taken to Amazon (my affiliate link).

I realize not everyone needs a family calendar, so if you don't have need for the Family Calendar, Polestar also offers six other products that may suit your needs better.

Student Calendar 2014 ($11.95)

Polestar Planner 2104 ($12.95)

Business Calendar 2014 ($19.95)

BC Almanac Listeners Lens 2014 Wall Calendar ($17.95)

Fruit Labels 2014 Wall Calendar ($17.95)

Inner Reflections 2014 ($14.95)

I am thrilled to be able to share this fantastic and thoroughly useful calendar with you again this year. I wouldn't want to plan our lives, activities and adventures without it! 

xo

Disclaimer: The Polestar company sent me one copy of their 2014 Family Calendar in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received. All opinions on this blog are my own. This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support.

Saying Goodbye

To 2012, that is.

I've been reading back through the journals that we keep during our prayer and worship times. WOW. I am blown away at the memories of what the Father has done in our lives in 2012. It's probably been one of the hardest years of my life. Missing Canada has been hard. Starting a new life here has been very challenging. It's also been a year that has brought incredible change and growth in me and in our family, along with the pain and tears.

I am going to be reading more of the journals tomorrow and may have more thoughts to share or thanksgiving to offer for what we've experienced. We'll see. I did notice some interesting themes in our dreams, visions, prophetic words and prayers.

One thing I am thankful for is this beautiful home and the fact that the Father sent us TWENTY overnight guests (not to mention friends who just came for an hour or two or eight). What an honour it was to have each and every friend, old and new, or family member in our home. We have some beautiful memories with you guys. And we are looking forward to finding out who He will bring to us in this next year!

Tonight, as I wait on my oldest to get off work, I have been working on my brand new 2013 calendar!

{If you missed it back in October, I posted a review of the Polestar Family Calendar. You can read it HERE.} 

I so love having all these clean, white blocks that are just waiting for new, colourful ink to adorn them. I am praying through our few extracurricular commitments and asking for wisdom to know when to say "yes" and when to say "no" this year. I am praying for all of the yet-unknown names of individuals and families that we will have the honour of inviting for dinners or coffees or play dates. I am praying over the trips that we will take. The schoolwork we will accomplish. The birthdays we will celebrate. The time we will spend in worship and prayer. The overnight guests we will host. The moments we will take reading God's Word, being refreshed and strengthen and enlightened by it. The milestones we will mark. The games we will play. The books we will devour. The movies we will enjoy. The laughter. The tears. The joy. The adventure. 

There's a new day and a new year dawning. Happy 2013! May the Father bless you immensely and be your Hope! 

 May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope.

Romans 15:13

Review - Polestar Family Calendar

Happy October! 

I am so excited to write this review for the 2013 Polestar Family Calendar! This is one of my favourite household tools, and I have recommended this calendar to so many people over the years. I started using it in 2008, after searching and searching for something that would work for our family size, activities, meal planning, to do lists, etc. I wanted everything in one place. Last year was the first time in five years that I did not have a Polestar Calendar and man, did I miss it. I am so happy to get back to this practical tool for 2013.

This bestselling calendar provides a flexible, spacious format for recording the entire family's daily activities. Features include:

* three-part daily planning guide
* monthly double-spread planning pages
* weekly To Do/To Buy lists
* ample space for meal planning and messages
* unique reference pages including Items Loaned & Borrowed; Family Profiles;
* Dates to Remember; 2013 and 2014 planning calendars
* sturdy inside back-cover pocket
* perforated corners and tear-out shopping lists
* plus encouraging weekly quotes

The cover artwork is always lovely...

Here are my well-used copies from 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. You can see that they all held up very well, which is saying a lot for all that this busy family put them through...

Take a look at the planning calendar pages from one of my past calendars. It is a two-page spread (only one shown here)...

I really like how large the boxes are for each day. They provide ample room for me to record all of our activities. I use a different colour for each of us. Here is my colour plan:

Bob/Family

Scarlett

Emma

Austin

Ben

Ava

Maya

If you are looking for an all-in-one, simple yet thorough calendar to organize your family, I highly recommend the Polestar Family Calendar.

Friends in the US, purchase here... 

Friends in Canada, purchase HERE.




Disclaimer: The Polestar company sent me one copy of their 2013 Family Calendar in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received. All opinions on this blog are my own.